Family says Guardian Angel Captured in Photo at Horrific Crash

Honea Path, SC (WHNS) -- The family of an Abbeville County man say an angel was watching over their loved one after he was involved in a horrific accident on Highway 252. They say that angel can be seen in a photograph, taken by a pastor who witnessed the accident and stopped to help.

"You can see on the picture, on the right-hand side that the angel looks like he's actually knelt with his hands up praying over him," says Lynn Wooten, a cousin of the crash victim.

That guardian angel is one reason Wooten believes her cousin is still alive today.

"If you was to see the car you would think nobody came out of it," Wooten says. Pictures taken at the scene show a mangled Ford Explorer.

Wooten says the accident happened Thursday evening as her cousin was headed home, driving southbound on Highway 252 near Maddox Bridge Road, when he began to veer off the side of the road and over-corrected.

In a Facebook post, Pastor Michael Clary says he witnessed the accident and posted that the SUV, "Started rolling over. I counted four times before hitting ditch then going airborne. Hit about twelve feet against large pine. Wrapped around tree in air and I saw something come out passenger side window. When I got to where it was I was shocked to see a young man on ground curled in a ball. The whole time this was happening I was in prayer mode asking God to protect this person."

Wooten says her cousin was airlifted to Greenville Memorial Hospital, where he was treated for a punctured lung in intensive care. Wooten says he also broke his collar bone and several ribs, but is expected to be released Wednesday, just five days after the accident.

"Our family strongly believes in guardian angels and that one with him. My cousin was lucky he survived," Wooten says.

Wooten says her family is incredibly grateful that there were two guardian angels looking after her cousin - the one captured in the photo and Clary who was there to witness the accident on the rural highway.

"If nobody had been behind him to see the accident occur, I don't know how long he would have been there. When the wrecker got there he had to cut the first line of trees to attach it and pull the car out, it was so far in there," Wooten says.